At a first glance, the AP Exam appears to be quite overwhelming. It can cover so many different topics that it is difficult to know where to begin. In this class, focus was placed vocabulary, comprehension, and analysis. In order to properly analyze a work (which was the "main goal"), we had to first be able to understand what was going on, making vocabulary and comprehension important.
In this class, we prepared for the exam by using released AP Exam questions and prompts as well as a number of articles about some of the different writing techniques that are helpful to employ on the exam. Below, I have provided a few links to some of the sources I found helpful. |
Study Links for the AP Literature & Composition Exam
Tips for the Multiple Choice Section (Courtesy of Susan Barber)
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- Annotating while reading takes time but yields for greater understanding of the passage
- Scan the questions (not the answers) before reading a passage and use the questions to guide your reading. Not only will this help you notice details when you read but can also help with the overall understanding of the passage.
- Read the entire passage. Read poems at least twice (if not three or four times) before answering questions. You cannot answer context questions without reading the full passage
- Read everything on the page – the title, footnotes, etc. Every little bit helps and can make a difference
- Plan your strategy before test day. There are many ways to take a test, and you should know your plan
- Finally, SLOW DOWN; most people end up with more time than they think
Tips for the Essay Portion
On the essay portion of the AP exam, you are given two hours to write a response to the three provided prompts. One prompt will provide a prose passage to analyze, another will provide a poem to analyze, and the last prompt will allow you to analyze a piece of your choice (as long as it follows the prompt).
It is important to plan! Before writing, try to plan out your essay (i.e. the claim, mini-claims, and evidence)
To the left is a general rubric that applies to all three of the essays. It is helpful to know what the AP readers are looking for when writing from them.
Some Things to Include on Each Essay:
It is important to plan! Before writing, try to plan out your essay (i.e. the claim, mini-claims, and evidence)
To the left is a general rubric that applies to all three of the essays. It is helpful to know what the AP readers are looking for when writing from them.
Some Things to Include on Each Essay:
- Claim- It is important to establish your main idea, or claim, early on in your essay and to frequently refer back to it throughout the essay. Straying from the claim will result in an unfocused essay and will cost you points.